|PIC2|It’s not often that the story of Jesus’ birth gets any cinema time. The Nativity Film in 2006 was a serious take on Mary and Joseph’s perilous journey to Bethlehem to bring the Son of God into the world, so serious in fact that it was the first feature film to premiere at the Vatican. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Confetti director Debbie Isitt’s fun-filled family movie, Nativity!

The posters advertising the film’s release on November 27 show a gaggle of kids wearing brightly coloured clothing and cheeky grins so you could be forgiven for writing Nativity! off as a shallow comedy that’s only going to skirt around Christianity and no doubt take some cheap shots. But that would be a real pity, because amid all the hilarity Nativity! addresses some really worthwhile themes like redemption, reconciliation and hope against the backdrop of the story of Jesus’ birth.

Martin Freeman is wonderful as the angry, frustrated Mr Maddens who teaches at a not so special Roman Catholic primary school. He’s there not because he wants to be but because his acting career didn’t quite take off and souring his mood even further is his suppressed heartache over Jennifer (Ashley Jensen), the girlfriend who left him five Christmases ago for a new life in Hollywood. Not to mention the arrival of Mr Poppy (Marc Wootton) as his new classroom assistant, who is as much a kid as the real kids are.

When Maddens is asked to put on the school’s nativity play it brings to the surface a longstanding rivalry with Gordon Shakespeare (Jason Watkins), who produces the Christmas productions at the privileged Oakmoor School nearby and consistently wins five star reviews from the snobby local drama critic (Alan Carr). In a moment of frustration brought on by Mr Shakespeare’s boasting, Maddens lies to him that Jennifer is coming with a Hollywood crew to film his school’s production. He is overheard by Mr Poppy, who soon has the whole school and town buzzing with the news. Cue lots of adorable kids, sheep, donkeys, camels, singing, dancing and an angel abseiling off Coventry Cathedral.

The happy ending is a no-brainer from the outset but the film’s predictability doesn’t make it any less enjoyable to watch. The children really sparkle, the songs are cheerful and for a film that was largely unscripted, it does well to keep the humour within the limits of a U-rated film. What’s more, Isitt understands the balance between light-hearted fun and the “serious moments” that give every film their emotional weight - Nativity! isn’t just good for a few mindless laughs.

In that sense, the tension between Maddens and Poppy provides the ideal context for much of the ensuing comedy but never to the point where it drowns out the film’s messages about love and forgiveness. Mr Maddens initially looks down on his childlike assistant as the “village idiot” and has a cynical view of the children he teaches – they are, he believes, “useless”. Yet it is Mr Poppy who always sees the best in the children and actually has the all the creative genius and positive thinking to make the Nativity play come together. By the end of the film, Maddens realises how much he needs him, and how much he loves the kids – and Christmas!

There are also some moments in the film that will really speak to Christians. When one mother tells Mr Maddens she is concerned that the religious dimension of the production may be lost, Mr Maddens assures her it will remain “100 per cent in line with the teaching of the Church” - a surprisingly sensitive and insightful moment in the film.

Those out there looking for a serious and faithful retelling of the Nativity story won’t find it here. There are just too many laugh-out-loud moments for that. Nevertheless, Nativity! is a well-intentioned movie that presents the story of Jesus’s birth in a positive way that befits the cheerfulness of the season. All in all, a great choice if you’re heading out with the family to the cinema this Christmas.



Nativity! is out in cinemas on Friday, certified U.